Concerns Raised About Black Lives Matter’s “Erasure” of Black Women

That appears to be a growing concern within the activist movement, which came to prominence following several controversial deaths of unarmed black Americans across the country in the past few years.

Black Lives Matter’s three female founders have said their organizing is minimized as a result of their gender, and a writer for the liberal website Salon recently lamented that “the names of slain black men, though not spoken enough, are still more publicized than the names of slain black women.”

This trend of “erasure” is a big issue for Erika Totten, one of the Washington, D.C., area activists who disrupted District Mayor Muriel Bowser during a speech announcing new crime-fighting initiatives last month.

Totten — one of the founders of the official Black Lives Matter group for D.C., Maryland and Virginia — would like to see her movement focused more on black women, including those who are transgender and thus uniquely at risk for harassment and violence.

“When we say ‘black lives matter,’ we mean all black lives, not just straight black men and black boys,” the 32-year-old resident of Alexandria, Va., said in an interview.

She noted that the national press has given much more attention to black men who have died, including Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner and Freddie Gray, than to black women. Listing cases she believed warranted more attention, Totten mentioned two unarmed black women who were shot to death by police: seven-year-old Aiyana Jones, who was killed in a Detroit police raid, and Mya Hall, a 27-year-old transgender woman from Baltimore whose life ended when a security guard opened fire on her vehicle after she made a wrong turn.

Totten also pointed out that black women and girls grapple with unique racial challenges, referencing studies of school suspension as one example. (“The disparity in punishment between black girls and white girls is greater than the disparity between black and white boys,” according to research by Columbia University law professor Kimberle Williams Crenshaw.)

InsideSources asked Totten if she felt any discomfort protesting Bowser, one of the most powerful black women in the District, but she said the mayor’s calls for more police officers and tougher criminal penalties deserved condemnation.

“Her being a black woman is something that is hurtful,” Totten said. “However, it’s not something that’s surprising. A lot of our people have not woken up. … She’s upholding anti-black policies.”

Totten then said Bowser made avoidable mistakes in crafting an agenda to fight D.C.’s spiking violent crime:

If she had talked with organizers, we would have told her ‘Don’t lead with more police, don’t have a whole gang of police behind you as your backdrop, because that’s horrible optics.’ What would have been better would be to have a whole group of employers ready to hire.

Black Lives Matter has called for the mayor to focus on community outreach and services to troubled neighborhoods. Bowser’s plan does include these elements, but the bulk of what she’s proposing seems to focus on law enforcement. Her administration is set to submit specific plans in the form of legislation to the D.C. Council later this month.

About the Author

Graham Vyse is a reporter for InsideSources. He was previously a staff writer for Washington, D.C.'s Current Newspapers, where he appeared on "The Fix’s 2015 list of best state political reporters" in the Washington Post. His work has also been published by the Post, Slate, and NBC News. Born and raised in Rhode Island, Graham received a master's degree in journalism and public affairs from American University in 2013. He was awarded a Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowship at the National Press Foundation in 2015.

Tell that to Regain and Bush sr who not only violated the constitution and many international laws and treaties by selling wmds to Iraq but also showed them how to make more, supplied the materials and trained them is using them against Iraqi citizens like the Kurds.

What on god’s green earth does George Soros bringing in paid rioters have to do with Reagan, Bush and WMD’s? People like you always blame everything that happens on presidents from the past. With little regard to how badly our current POTUS has screwed up everything from racial tensions inside our country and weakening our military to destroying foreign relations.

Give it a rest with the Bush and Regan talk, you have already brought it up several times and sound like an idiot with little more to talk about.

I am with Paul on most issues, but his isolationism is ill-timed. We are at war with radical Islam and if the USA refuses to fight and win that war, nobody else will. Putin insists on recreating the Soviet Union and appeasement will only lead to WW3.

Or one could call him Neville Obama. First thing he did is withdraw all the planned missile defense installations in Eastern Europe. Then he played kiss-face with Putin in telling him that he would be more “flexible” in his second term. Putin took him at his word and put Obama on his knees with the takeover in the Crimea, which went down with scarcely an audible squawk. Next, Putin will take as much of the Ukraine as he wants…Then Georgia. Make no mistake. That is precisely what Putin intends.

We are bombing and have been bombing but cons don’t seem to understand that or are they just lying again by saying the US isn’t bombing in Syria. The US has been working with other countries doing the same.

Conservatives are traitors AND cowards. Your deserter President and five-time draft dodger proved that. Reagan and Bush selling wmds to Iraq was treason. Lying to start wars for profit was an act of treason. The war crimes were a nice touch and very, very cowardly. Failing to defend the country on 9/11 was another cowardly act of conservatives. Wimp Cheney led from behind and sacrificed our troops for greed and profit. Whose the wimp Phil? No foreign aggressor has done as much damage to this country as the cowards you support. You worship draft dodgers like Cheney and Rush Limpbrain – the wife cheating, drug abusing draft dodger. You are a clueless hypocrite and precisely what the conservatives rely upon – stupid.

My, my…such a cauldron of vitriol you brew. Methinks byumi doth protest too much. Oh, and BTW, it is “Who’s the wimp…” as in who is the wimp. Whose is a possessive pronoun but then I realize that you limp-wrested liberals do not care about such trifles, or are those truffles?

sure you are Libertarian ? the Government should leave me alone and make laws for everyone else I want the government to protect my rights while not supporting the government ? Libertarians ????? there outa be a Law

There are varying degrees of Libertarians. I believe in paying my fair share of taxes, I support our military but not the idiotic ideas our government uses it for, free speech, freedom of the press, etc. What I can’t stand is that when a government body tries to force unjust laws down our throats.

Seatbelts save lives. An adult should have the choice of wearing one or not, just like motorcycle helmets. I smoke but not inside my home as the health effects would be detrimental to my son. Gay marriage? Let them be happy or miserable like other married couples.

There should be a law against conservatives who do dammer damage to this country than any foreign aggressor and any terrorists have dreamed of doing. Nice job filling on 9/11, lying about wmds and don’t forget the treason of Bush and Reagan who sold wmds to Iraq. There should be a law that’s enforced for sure – that convicts conservatives for their treason and war crimes.

really need to re-read Animal House. Same pattern of devolving victimhood and evolving status, hand in hand. Four legs GOOD, two legs BAD!
no, wait
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others. That’s it . . . . all lives are equal but some are more equal than others.

How many american women have been murdered , raped by illegals and blacks? Black or white or hispanic, men women children, babies have been murdered by illegals where is the outrage over what illegals have done?

Blacks will not matter until they are controlled and contained, so they can all kill each other, and they will leave alone innocent, hard-working, respectable, respectful citizens, and they will be unable to destroy still-viable cities and neighborhoods where they are not wanted and where they do not belong.

I have observed on too many occasions that black women/girls express a “don’t mess with me or I’ll hurt you” attitude so, perhaps that is why they experience more suspensions.
Also, although this is a different topic, has anyone noticed how much black people litter? I see it all the time, while walking down the street they’ll throw their wrapper on ground, throw trash out of their car windows, etc.
I was raised to respect all people but gotta say, I have no respect for anyone who shows no respect.

Based upon 25 years teaching high school, my experience verifies that black females disproportionately exhibit belligerent attitudes. It is as if such “in your face” attitudes are necessary for survival in their microcosm.

Has anyone noticed the majority of child molesters are White! You have supposedly White out standing citizens as a disguise like most White priest, White Boy scout leaders,ex house speaker Dennis Haskert And coach Jerry Sandusky who all enjoy sodimizing little White boys butts!

Have YOU noticed that over 80% of ALL crimes are committed by blacks? And that includes violent crimes. Have YOU noticed that EVERY major city in this country that is run by blacks, and that has been invaded and infested by blacks, is now a crime-riddled, filthy, violent, run-down, war zone? Who do you think is responsible for that happening? I’ll give you a hint: BLACKS. They are the ones who are committing the crimes, they are the ones who have filthed up and destroyed every neighborhood and every city they inhabit, and they are the ones killing other black ghetto rats, along with many INNOCENT, hard-working citizens. This is not the fault of the system or the whites. This is solely and completely the fault of BLACKS: BLACK leaders, BLACK citizens, BLACK gangs, BLACK criminals, and BLACK ghetto rats. And now, BLACKS are being pardoned and protected by the BLACK african muslim in the white house. BLACKS cannot be legislated into acting, living, and thinking like normal, non-criminal productive members of society, and no amount of funding can accomplish those things, either. Blacks are a destructive, sub-race who destroy all they touch. It is all they know, it is how they live, and it is what they are taught.

How can something be devalued that is worth nothing to begin with? According to the actions of the nasty, smelly, nappy-headed, lying, big-mouthed, misguided racists from the black LIES matter crew, black lives, indeed DO NOT matter. Where are the big-mouthed ghetto rat slugs when “they peepa” are shooting and killing each other (and many innocent people) ever minute of every day in every major city in this country that has been invaded and infested with blacks and black criminals? Where are the protests in the streets from the screaming baboons? You will not see it, because even the smelly nappy heads from black LIES matter know that if they protest in the streets in those instances, the violent black criminal ghetto rats will cap their @zzes just like they do to everyone else in those cities. It is quite all right for blacks to act like blacks, shoot anyone at will, commit crimes at will, and to destroy all they invade and infest, but it is not all right for them to be stopped, to suffer the consequences, or for these things to be pointed out publicly because it hurts their feelings. They are a backward, convoluted, and wretched sub-race of people who have had billions of dollars thrown at them in the last 60 years, and they have not improved themselves or their station in society one iota. They are the dregs of society in any city they invade and infest, and they are the cause of the destruction and downfall of every city in this country that they have invaded and infested.

They really don’t matter. Not unless they have jobs, stay out of trouble, avoid getting pregnant until after the wedding and raise their kids right. No racism, perpetual victimhood-claiming, screaming or poo-flinging. The ones who do that don’t matter.

And trannies? Those never matter. Not even rich white ones named Caitlyn.

If the proponents of this “movement” truly believed their slogan, maybe there would be more Black children with responsible fathers who would teach them respect for other’s property, those in authority (Police), and the rule of law in general.

Let’s discuss some actual facts shall we…. 93% of black killings are done by other backs…..LESS than 1% of blacks are killed by cops and of that less than 1%…. 95% of those are judged as justified…. So gee seems like black lives matter needs to spend a lot of time gazing in the mirror instead of pointing fingers at cops who save 1000x more black lives than they kill…

Black lives don’t matter to all those black thugs who murder on a daily basis. Kind hard to figure out what the message of blacks really is since actions speak louder than words. maybe they want everyone else to be as delusional as they are. When black lives matter to blacks and they stop murdering blacks, maybe the rest of the world will pay attention. Until then, it’s nonsense.